There are several ways to force open a locked door. Each method causes different levels of damage – some of which can be expensive to repair and may leave you without a way to secure the door until those repairs are made.
Grandpa TJ: I’ve located videos which deal with many of the types of lockoutss you may run into at home. If you are handy with some simple tools and can get to a hardware store, these videos will give you enough information to get the job done for far less cost than a locksmith.
Remember, you can get personalized help including video chat during your repair if you need it. Visit Grandpa TJ’s Inner Circle for more information on how to schedule a live consultation.
The method shown in the below video uses a prying attack on the wooden door trim to open a straight path to the door latch. In this case, the latch is able to be pushed back into the door. If it has a deadlock plunger, that may not be possible. As shown in the video, there are only minor repairs needed after the door has been opened.
Thanks to TheMeadowshandytips for the YouTube video
Prying or Kicking the Door Open
If the doorjamb is made of metal or if the door latch has a properly operating deadlock, you will have to either pry or kick the door open. This method often damages the door frame and may make the door unable to be locked or sometimes even be closed properly.
A tapered end of a crowbar or heavy screwdriver will have to be driven between the door and the door frame (just above or below the latch) and twisted or levered back and forth. This will create a widening gap between the door latch and the frame. When a wide enough gap is created, the door will pop open.
Damage to the door and door frame makes these methods a less than desirable way to get your door open, but it might be necessary if you don’t have any other options and it is an emergency!
Another common method that burglars use to quickly get inside your house is to kick the door. In spite being very noisy, it is often used for daylight burglaries because the criminals can get inside your house, snatch a bunch of valuables and get away – long before the police can arrive.
The following video shows how easy it is to kick the door in. Good news though! This video also shows how to defend against this kind of attack on your door.
Thanks to Inside Edition for the YouTube video
Here is a chilling video of a break-in along with a brief look at protecting your door from a brute-force attack which is more common than you may think.
Thanks to Inside Edition for the YouTube video
Don’t be an Easy Target: Stop Someone Else from Kicking in Your Door…
Grandpa TJ: Here are some simple fixes if you don’t want someone to kick in your door!
Replace your door lock’s strikeplate screws with long screws ($2-$10). Click here
Install a Security Strikeplate set($50-$100) on your doors.
Protect your front and back doors with a Security Screen Door ($100-$400) on the outside.
Click here for an article on several types of security upgrades for your doors.